Spied this bottle tree during a walk. You don’t see them much in Idaho, but they’ve been around the southern U.S. for many years.
The tradition came from Africa. It was thought that colorful bottles in the trees would attract – and trap -- the evil spirits that roamed at night. Once ensnared in the bottles, they could do no harm. The sound of the wind blowing around the bottles was actually the cries of the captured spirits. And when the sun rose the next morning, the light would kill the demons trapped inside.
Of course, now you can buy bottle trees to decorate your patch of green. Maybe it’d be a good thing – we could all benefit from fewer evil spirits…
Spied this bottle tree during a walk. You don’t see them much in Idaho, but they’ve been around the southern U.S. for many years.
The tradition came from Africa. It was thought that colorful bottles in the trees would attract – and trap -- the evil spirits that roamed at night. Once ensnared in the bottles, they could do no harm. The sound of the wind blowing around the bottles was actually the cries of the captured spirits. And when the sun rose the next morning, the light would kill the demons trapped inside.
Of course, now you can buy bottle trees to decorate your patch of green. Maybe it’d be a good thing – we could all benefit from fewer evil spirits…
2 comments:
I really like these bottle trees! I don't think I've seen any trees like this around Berkeley. I had no idea that this tradition comes from Africa and involves night-roaming evil spirits! I've got a few empty wine bottles; maybe I should create a tree!
Yes, definitely make a bottle tree! Especially if you have some cool wine bottles -- trading one "spirit" for another ;>)
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